ABSTRACT

Despite the extensive introduction of digital technologies in working life and the demand for the public sector, including schools, to digitalise, there is limited research on the relationship between digitalisation and the work environment. The aim of this article is therefore to explore how implementation processes of digital administrative and communication systems and teaching tools interact with work-related demands and resources experienced in schools. The Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) and Job Demand-Resources model (JDR) were used to analyse experiences of digitalisation and the work environment of employees, managers, strategists and health and safety officers in schools in Sweden. The study, based on semi-structured interviews with 25 participants, shows that the lack of resources and a too-high workload were reported as problematic and challenging in the introduction of digital technology. Collegial cooperation and decision-making opportunities, on the other hand, seemed to enhance the digitalisation process and to some extent even bridge over the weaknesses of strained time resources and high workload.

Introduction

Digital technologies have revolutionized society and the ability to use and understand technology has become crucial for functioning in the private sphere as well as in working life. For this reason, many European countries address digital competencies in their national school policies (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, Citation2019). In Sweden, a national strategy emphasising the digital competences of schools was launched in 2017 (Utbildningsdepartementet, Citation2017). Digitalisation in schools is also taking place in the larger context of making the public sector more efficient and reducing costs, together with reforms such as New Public Management (Bekkers & Homburg, Citation2007; Cordella & Bonina, Citation2012; Dunleavy et al., Citation2006).

The influence of New Public Management and marketisation since the 1980s has contributed to increasingly stressful working conditions for teachers (e.g. Allodi & Fischbein, Citation2012; Toropova et al., Citation2021). During the last decades, teacher turnover rates have increased, with a subsequent shortage of qualified teachers in the EU (European Commission, Citation2018; Toropova et al., Citation2021). However, there is limited research on how digitalisation is impacting the work environment for teachers (Timotheou et al., Citation2022). The literature review by Timotheou et al. (Citation2022) shows that digital technologies in education not only affect the performance of pupils but also the professional and teaching practices of teachers.

Bascia and Rottmann (Citation2011) argue that addressing teachers’ working conditions is neglected when developing education. Working conditions in schools are not only important for pupils’ opportunities to learn (Bascia & Rottmann, Citation2011; Ramberg et al., Citation2020), but also for teacher motivation, effectiveness, and job satisfaction (Bascia & Rottmann, Citation2011). The aim of this article is therefore to explore how the implementation processes of digital administrative and communication systems and teaching tools interact with work-related demands and resources in schools. Semi-structured interviews with teachers, health and safety representatives (HSR), managers, and strategists were conducted at schools in two Swedish municipalities.